Simon Cowell: My Son Will Compete with Kelly Clarkson’s Kid

“I’m slightly ahead of her, yes,” Cowell, who’s expecting his first child with Lauren Silverman, told PEOPLE during Jaguar’s introduction of the new F-type coupe in Playa Vista, Calif. on Tuesday..

“I’m happy for her because she’s a great girl. Some of these contestants on [American Idol] can change a bit over the years, [but] she’s a really nice person and she remembers how the show gave her a break.”

Despite his well-wishes, Cowell, 54, admits it was his own news of becoming a father that caught him off guard.

“Come on, I would have never ever expected it, but it’s happened and I’m embracing it now,” he says.

Neilson Barnard/Getty. Inset: Charles Sykes/Invisi

But is the future father already showing signs of being a stage dad? He jokes he can already foresee fierce competition between his son and Clarkson’s baby on the way.

“[They’ll be] competing against each other in a competition. I can see it now … I’m thinking 15 years ahead,” he says.

– Anya Leon with reporting by Reagan Alexander

Flashback Video: What do Simon Cowell’s co-judges think of his baby news?